Purchasing tips for a hot tub

My wife and I are considering getting an outdoor hot tub, but we have no idea what to look for when it come to quality or efficiency. All companies claim to be "the best", but I know there has to be some major differences in quality and efficiency (Arctic spas would claimed the #1 selling brand and that they have the best insulation and most durable shell. Hot Springs Spas says #1 selling brand with a warranty that "goes above and beyond all others....")
Anyone have any experience as to what we need to look for. We are planning on buying the hot tub at the Washington State Fair (they seem to have the better deals) in September, so we have some time.

Purchasing tips for a hot tub

Ours was bought from cut price pools, ten years ago, it is a downeast exeter, and we are now down to using it only three times a week. So you can ignore all those who say nay. We get way more than our money's worth!! Have for years, and will in the future. Ron

Purchasing tips for a hot tub

DDawg, I think Southern California has you spoiled!

We used the heck out of ours for the last 7 years! 4-5 times a week, even in the winter. We had 3 teenagers in the house for most of the time we owned it. Between them and their friends, it got abused!

Sadly, it was included with the sale of our old house in December.

We had a Cal Spa. It was great, but repairs were hassle. We're in a rural community and the closest authorized repair shop was 60 miles away. We had to pay mileage on warrantied repairs. Once it was out of warranty, we found a closer repair option.

The main pump died while under warranty. The secondary pump developed leaks after the warranty expired. The heating element also died after the warranty expired. I don't know if that's a lot of repairs or not, given how much it got used.

We're saving and planning on buying a new hot tub this fall when the model year changes. Prices have gone up a lot since we bought the last one. It probably won't be a Cal Spa, just because of the lack of repair options in our area.

Last edited by rrudd2; 04-02-2014 at 07:50 AM.
Reason: My English teacher was rolling in her grave....

Purchasing tips for a hot tub

I see multiple free hot tubs on craigslist every week around here. We got ours (free on cl) last October and used the hell out of it until we got our first electric bill. Now it sits in the back yard unused, but thankfully we have enough land that storing it isn't a problem until we decide to use it again.

Purchasing tips for a hot tub

Quote:

Originally Posted by ront02769

Ours was bought from cut price pools, ten years ago, it is a downeast exeter, and we are now down to using it only three times a week. So you can ignore all those who say nay. We get way more than our money's worth!! Have for years, and will in the future. Ron

That depends completely on how convenient you make them.

I didn't buy one. I instead opted to build one and I built it as an indoor/outdoor tub. The tub is 8x8 and has a leg running off of it so it's kind of L shaped. That leg runs right into the house (main floor just of the living room). There is a small shower room right there at the entrance of the tub so you can clean yourself before entering.

The end result is that you get into the tub from the indoors and go through a weather separator to get to the outer part of the tub. The outer part has a lid on it which was built pretty high so that you can bathe with the lid opened or closed. This was done so that when it is -30 outside you can still bathe without issue. The winch control for the lid is inside so you don't have to go outside to open it. It's all done from indoors. No need to go outside and it's a simple matter of dropping your robe and going for a dip. The towels are right there hanging on the hook, the shower is there.... It's all right in front of you.

I built it about 3 years ago. and we still use it 2 or 3 times a day, year round. In fact I start my days with my morning coffee in the tub.

Now, if I had to round up my towels, get my swim trunks on, go outside and undo the lid... yadda, yadda...... I don't think I would.

Purchasing tips for a hot tub

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Sanders

That depends completely on how convenient you make them.

I didn't buy one. I instead opted to build one and I built it as an indoor/outdoor tub. The tub is 8x8 and has a leg running off of it so it's kind of L shaped. That leg runs right into the house (main floor just of the living room). There is a small shower room right there at the entrance of the tub so you can clean yourself before entering.

The end result is that you get into the tub from the indoors and go through a weather separator to get to the outer part of the tub. The outer part has a lid on it which was built pretty high so that you can bathe with the lid opened or closed. This was done so that when it is -30 outside you can still bathe without issue. The winch control for the lid is inside so you don't have to go outside to open it. It's all done from indoors. No need to go outside and it's a simple matter of dropping your robe and going for a dip. The towels are right there hanging on the hook, the shower is there.... It's all right in front of you.

I built it about 3 years ago. and we still use it 2 or 3 times a day, year round. In fact I start my days with my morning coffee in the tub.

Now, if I had to round up my towels, get my swim trunks on, go outside and undo the lid... yadda, yadda...... I don't think I would.

We are New England, not negative thirty but cold, we need to go out the sliding doors, turn right for ten feet, turn right again for thirty and there it is. First path we shovel after it snows!! Come in through the sliders, sit in front of the wood stove with glass of wine to cool off, good times!